Clutch Turtles
Clutch turtle depicted on book cover for Agent of Change *The Clutch first appear in the novel Agent of Change (see book cover). **Two turtles -- The Edger and The Sheather -- play roles in several more books. **The short story To Cut an Edge tells how Scout cadet Val Con yos'Phelium first met The Edger. Descriptions *Clutch people, Miri learned with surprise, were persons of consequence. *Clutch Turtles are huge, sentient, slow, peace-loving, family-oriented, space-faring, and long-lived. **some are insular and suspicious of non-Clutch, or even xenophobic *Some are space-faring, in their electron drive asteroid ships *Their lengthy multi-phrased names describe the hallmarks of their long lives. *Elders live more than a millennium *Socially organized in clans, governed by a council of elders, the T’car *strong sense of smell: “the odor of something vaguely spicy and somewhat— furry?” *Large glowing eyes, to see in dark caverns, etc., I Dare, Solcintra, Liad *They somehow use their voice /sound waves to build, destroy, heal, etc. *They named the Yxtrang their "fair and just prey"I Dare, Lytaxin, Erob's ClanHouse * Invisible to healer sight'' * When Shan opens up his healer senses completely, the Cluch are '"as systems of all but intolerable compexity, informed by a method entirely outside of his unterstanding, streching far beyond his ability to read, yet tantalizingly familar, as if ..." **reminding him of when he opened healer sight to The Tree -- "entranced" by "the long, slow, greenness that spiraled on -- forever, or so it seemed" I Dare, Lytaxin, Erob's House / chapter 7 T’car & T’carais *T’car: The Council of Elders that governs all Clutch, all clans *Provides dispute resolution between clans if the clan leaders (T’carais) cannot solve their own problems *Eldest Speaker is a female *“There was a large quiet while the Elders conferred silently, after the manner of the very old. In time, Eldest Speaker’s voice was heard...It is the decision and will of the T’car that the T’carais of the Knife Clan go to the...” * T’carais: A clan leader. *Edger, for example, leads Knife Clan *“The duties of a T’carais are myriad; the duties of the senior-most Edger many” *T’caraisiana’ab — “This is Handler, my brother. He speaks with my voice in all things while I am gone.” Knife Clan of Middle River *This clan is known across the universe for making indestructible crystal knives. *“Most of the Clan was home, growing knives in the cold, beautiful caverns of Middle River." *It takes twenty years to grow and refine a crystal knife.Agent of Change, chapter 6 *“Middle River knives are crystal, delicately crafted, superbly handled, exquisitely sheathed-things of beauty, without doubt. Also useful, since a knife is, after all, a tool. Edger and his Clan encourage as many blades as there are uses for blades, from screwdrivers to grace knives."Agent of Change chapter 8 'The Edger' *Leading the "Market Research" team: "His group of five had been sent by the Elders out into the wide universe to discover what knives were required." *A male turtle, he puts the edge on the crystal knifes his clan makes *Shorter Name: "I am called, in the short form used by the Clans of Men on those things called visas: Eleventh Shell Fifth Hatched Knife Clan of Middle River's Spring Spawn of Farmer Greentrees of the Spearmakers Den: The Edger.""To Cut An Edge" *T'carais (somewhere between father, captain, priest and mayor''Agent of Change'', ch 21) *Of the working class (one third bigger than those of the Ambassadorial Clan) *By the time of Agent of Change his twelfth shell is "barely set" and his name is updated to "Twelfth Shell..." *“Edger, he said to call him. Big somebody. Voice like to crack your eardrums." Cheever McFarland picked up the cup and gulped down the contents. "Real character, ain't he?"Carpe Diem, Liad, Solcintra Port *"Eight-foot high and bottle green, the room's soft light waking gleams of malachite and cobalt among the tiles of his magnificent shell. Eyes yellow and slitted, like a cat's, four hundred pounds, if he weighed an ounce."I Dare, Day 50 (ch 5) His eyes are the size of saucers Agent of Change, ch 5 *Edger might be short for a Clutch, given species comparison: Average Liadens are 5' tall, Terrans 7' tall, Clutch 9' tall To Cut an Edge In "I Dare" Edger is only 8 feet. *more than nine hundred standard years old (which is relatively young for a Clutch Turtle) **Discrepancy: "Edger had seen seven standard centuries, start to finish." *Has made a study of human music, which he finds pleasing *Befriends 17-year-old Scout cadet Val Con yos'Phelium on the Clutch homeworld. (see To Cut an Edge) **"I met him when I was training as First-In Scout. I had my 'chora with me...He enjoyed my playing. After -- I got to know him, he offered me a place in his household, as Clan musician." **Edger taught Val Con the L'apeleka dance, a Clutch discipline, "a way of reaffirming oneself. Of celebrating proper thought" -- which helped Val Con free himself from The Department of the Interior Agent of Change, chapter 21 *Loans his Clutch Ship to Val Con and MiriAgent of Change *Contacts the Juntavas and Clan Korval's First Speaker Nova yos'Galan when Val Con and Miri abruptly abandon his shipCarpe Diem *With Shan yos'Galan, he heals Val Con of grievous injury 'The Sheather' *male, Edger's brother *one head shorter than Edger *felt drawn to study his adopted sister Miri Robertson:: "Indeed I have thought much upon our sister, and studied what I might of her history."Plan B, Shaltren, Juntavas Headquarters **his name has been lengthened to include his study of Miri and humans in general: "my name now includes a phrase roughly equivalent to 'student of men'"I Dare *although typically slow and almost timid, he rapidly threw his crystal knife at an attacking enemy, to protect EdgerCarpe Diem, Cessilee *used his voice to heal Miri *accompanied Val Con into the dark tunnels beneath Liad: "Sheather, with his dark-seeing eyes, led the way."I Dare, Solcintra, Liad Also with Edger *The Handler ** male; Edger's brother ** T'caraisiana'ab ** one head smaller than Edger * The Selector ** male; Edger's brother ** one head smaller than Edger ** has an acid tongue * The Watcher ** Youngest of the "market research" team, least used to non-turtles. Still xenophobic. ** one head smaller than Edger Others of Knife Clan * Lader * Seeder * Nurturer (female) * The nurse (The Broodmother?) (female) * The child ** male ** T'carais'amp, heir to the T'carais (presumably Edger's son, but the closest the story comes to saying this specifically is that Edger's brother Handler is the T'carais'amp's uncle) Trader Clan of White Marsh * The Speaker for the Trader Clan Ambassadorial Clans Edger comparing himself with persons of the amassadorial clans: "... few of the working class traveled, and his four-hundred-pound bottle-green frame was fully one-third larger than the svelte and speedy persons the Ambassadorial Clans sent to human worlds." Excerpts *"...the former chairman made the mistake of threatening a T'carais....The chairman was knifed in his own office by a Clutch turtle."Breath's Duty, in A Liaden Universe Constellation, volume I, and in Duty Bound; Adventures in the Liaden Universe (See Breath's Duty) **"Perhaps better for all concerned: Most turtles would merely have bitten his head off, or crushed his spine..." *"The turtles claim them to be a brother and sister of the Spearmaker's Den who must be returned unharmed or self-declared free and safe....If they don't turn up safe the Juntavas will be wiped out, starting from the top." *Clutch turtles? Nelirikk managed to stifle the shiver, while fervently hoping never in his lifetime to see a Clutch turtle, enemy of the Troop, slayer of fleets."I Dare, Day 50, SY1393, Lytaxin, Erob's House Words and phrases * a'jliata - dragon * clemktos - a type of tree * c'smerlaparek - a game played by children * d'neschopita - pretty * (egg-kin) * (eggling) * kanarak'ab - (meaning uncertain) * k'mentopak - farewell * l'apeleka - a dance/martial art discipline (very slow moves, a way of reaffirming oneself, of celebrating the power of thought ) * p'elektekaba - (meaning uncertain) * s'essellata - (meaning uncertain) * T'car - Council of Clans * t'carais - ranking member of a clan * t'carais'amp - heir to the t'carais * t'caraisiana'ab - person who acts for the t'carais in that one's absence (uncertain if this is the whole of the meaning) * t'carais'amp b'lenarkanarak'ab - (meaning uncertain; perhaps a greeting or an introduction) * t'caraisiana'ab e'amokenatek - "This means that you are to be heard and judged by the T'caraisiana'ab." References Category:Characteristics